diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/route.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/route.h
index 822415353e..b6631298d1 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/route.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/route.h
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ public:
 	bool is_safe () const {
 		return _solo_safe_control->get_value();
 	}
+	bool can_monitor () const {
+		return can_solo() || is_foldbackbus ();
+	}
 	void enable_monitor_send ();
 
 	void set_denormal_protection (bool yn);
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/soloable.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/soloable.h
index fa474b38a3..4b65aff244 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/soloable.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/soloable.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ class Soloable {
 	virtual void push_solo_isolate_upstream (int32_t delta) = 0;
 	virtual bool is_safe () const = 0;
 	virtual bool can_solo () const = 0;
+	virtual bool can_monitor () const = 0;
 };
 
 } /* namespace */
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/vca.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/vca.h
index bf1c02c47d..f1a4c3f4df 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/vca.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/vca.h
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API VCA : public Stripable,
 	void push_solo_upstream (int32_t) {}
 	void push_solo_isolate_upstream (int32_t) {}
 	bool can_solo() const { return true; }
+	bool can_monitor() const { return false; }
 	bool is_safe () const { return false; }
 
 	/* Muteable API */
diff --git a/libs/ardour/route.cc b/libs/ardour/route.cc
index 8661ca89b0..1a68f6ae14 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/route.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/route.cc
@@ -3349,7 +3349,6 @@ Route::enable_monitor_send ()
 	/* master never sends to monitor section via the normal mechanism */
 	assert (!is_master ());
 	assert (!is_monitor ());
-	assert (!is_foldbackbus ());
 
 	/* make sure we have one */
 	if (!_monitor_send) {
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session.cc b/libs/ardour/session.cc
index 33f9720721..1920704c24 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session.cc
@@ -1155,7 +1155,7 @@ Session::setup_route_monitor_sends (bool enable, bool need_process_lock)
 	ProcessorChangeBlocker  pcb (this, false /* XXX */);
 
 	for (RouteList::iterator x = rls->begin(); x != rls->end(); ++x) {
-		if ((*x)->can_solo ()) {
+		if ((*x)->can_monitor ()) {
 			if (enable) {
 				(*x)->enable_monitor_send ();
 			} else {
@@ -3093,7 +3093,7 @@ Session::new_route_from_template (uint32_t how_many, PresentationInfo::order_t i
 		/* set/unset monitor-send */
 		Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lm (_engine.process_lock());
 		for (RouteList::iterator x = ret.begin(); x != ret.end(); ++x) {
-			if ((*x)->can_solo ()) {
+			if ((*x)->can_monitor ()) {
 				if (_monitor_out) {
 					(*x)->enable_monitor_send ();
 				} else {
@@ -3258,7 +3258,7 @@ Session::add_routes_inner (RouteList& new_routes, bool input_auto_connect, bool
 		Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lm (_engine.process_lock());
 
 		for (RouteList::iterator x = new_routes.begin(); x != new_routes.end(); ++x) {
-			if ((*x)->can_solo ()) {
+			if ((*x)->can_monitor ()) {
 				(*x)->enable_monitor_send ();
 			}
 		}
@@ -3454,7 +3454,7 @@ Session::remove_routes (boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> routes_to_remove)
 			}
 
 			/* if the monitoring section had a pointer to this route, remove it */
-			if (!deletion_in_progress () && _monitor_out && (*iter)->can_solo ()) {
+			if (!deletion_in_progress () && _monitor_out && (*iter)->can_monitor ()) {
 				Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lm (AudioEngine::instance()->process_lock ());
 				ProcessorChangeBlocker pcb (this, false);
 				(*iter)->remove_monitor_send ();
@@ -3571,7 +3571,7 @@ Session::route_listen_changed (Controllable::GroupControlDisposition group_overr
 					continue;
 				}
 
-				if ((*i)->solo_isolate_control()->solo_isolated() || !(*i)->can_solo()) {
+				if ((*i)->solo_isolate_control()->solo_isolated() || !(*i)->can_monitor()) {
 					/* route does not get solo propagated to it */
 					continue;
 				}
@@ -3801,17 +3801,15 @@ Session::update_route_solo_state (boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> r)
 	}
 
 	for (RouteList::iterator i = r->begin(); i != r->end(); ++i) {
-		if ((*i)->can_solo()) {
-			if (Config->get_solo_control_is_listen_control()) {
-				if ((*i)->solo_control()->soloed_by_self_or_masters()) {
-					listeners++;
-					something_listening = true;
-				}
-			} else {
-				(*i)->set_listen (false);
-				if ((*i)->can_solo() && (*i)->solo_control()->soloed_by_self_or_masters()) {
-					something_soloed = true;
-				}
+		if ((*i)->can_monitor() && Config->get_solo_control_is_listen_control()) {
+			if ((*i)->solo_control()->soloed_by_self_or_masters()) {
+				listeners++;
+				something_listening = true;
+			}
+		} else if ((*i)->can_solo()) {
+			(*i)->set_listen (false);
+			if ((*i)->can_solo() && (*i)->solo_control()->soloed_by_self_or_masters()) {
+				something_soloed = true;
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/solo_control.cc b/libs/ardour/solo_control.cc
index f194047559..6497ac319e 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/solo_control.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/solo_control.cc
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ SoloControl::set_mute_master_solo ()
 void
 SoloControl::mod_solo_by_others_downstream (int32_t delta)
 {
-	if (_soloable.is_safe() || !_soloable.can_solo()) {
+	if (_soloable.is_safe() || !can_solo()) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ SoloControl::mod_solo_by_others_downstream (int32_t delta)
 void
 SoloControl::mod_solo_by_others_upstream (int32_t delta)
 {
-	if (_soloable.is_safe() || !_soloable.can_solo()) {
+	if (_soloable.is_safe() || !can_solo()) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ SoloControl::mod_solo_by_others_upstream (int32_t delta)
 void
 SoloControl::actually_set_value (double val, PBD::Controllable::GroupControlDisposition group_override)
 {
-	if (_soloable.is_safe() || !_soloable.can_solo()) {
+	if (_soloable.is_safe() || !can_solo()) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -351,5 +351,9 @@ SoloControl::pre_remove_master (boost::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> m)
 bool
 SoloControl::can_solo () const
 {
-	return _soloable.can_solo ();
+  if (Config->get_solo_control_is_listen_control()) {
+		return _soloable.can_monitor ();
+	} else {
+		return _soloable.can_solo ();
+	}
 }